Sister Barden from Taiwan - May 26, 2014 

 

Dearest Family! 

  

What a week! 3 exchanges in Hualien and Taidong! We had so much fun driving from Hualien to TaiDong with President and Sister Day and sleeping on a tile floor for two nights ;) Good memories! We saw so many miracles and ate so much mochi! 

 

Sister Shi was baptized this Saturday. This was one of the most special moments of my mission. The ward was very supportive and many people came to attend the baptism. The spirit was so very strong and Shi JieMei seemed radiant with happiness. One of the recent converts we were able to see baptized last month, Wendy, gave the talk on baptism. As she testified of the blessings baptism has brought to her life, she shared her feelings as she performed baptisms for the dead the day previously. What an incredible feeling to see a recent convert love the temple so much! Her deepening conversion is so beautiful. We forgot to select a hymn for the missionaries to sing during the middle of the program. As our ward mission leader hurriedly asked us what we would sing, we quickly picked 'Be Still My Soul'. As the missionaries began to sing, big tears began to run down Shi JieMei's face. She felt the spirit. We know the spirit chose that song just for her. Her baptism was beautiful, the members happy and smiling, and Shi JieMei was running over with happiness the whole evening. It felt like heaven. She really is our Sister! 

 

The Wu family is progressing well. Many ward families are encouraging them, sitting with them and helping us teach in their home. Brother Wu is studying 2 Nephi. He feels that since he began reading the Book of Mormon, he is much happier and life runs more smoothly. He didn't drink coffee at all this week!!!!!! Two weeks ago he was still drinking three cups a day. We are unbelievably excited for him! 

 

Sister Chao is so incredible. I love her fire and her willingness to laugh at whatever crazy adventures come our way. We love working together and feel so very guided by the spirit. Feeling uplifted by so many blessings!! 

 

Love you all - have a great Memorial Day! 

Sister Barden 

 

 

 

Sister Barden in Taiwan - May 19. 2014 

 

Dear Family! 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIA!!! I cannot believe you are 12. You are already so much more beautiful than I am inside and out ;) Never forget how much I love you. 

 

Sister Shi (our tall chinese investigator! ) had one of the most remarkable lessons I have ever attended this week! The best part was... the majority of the lesson was taught by two of the strongest members of our ward. Both are converts and very full of the spirit. Sister Shi has been reading the BOM, praying (I wish you could hear her prayers, they are so beautiful and humble), and coming to church every week. However, she is still concerned that the wide vault from aetheist to active Latter-Day Saint might be too much for her. As she doubted her faith, our peikes explained how she was already manifesting her belief- her hope and desire- by all the many actions she was doing to seek out truth. The spirit poured into the lesson. Sister Chao and I then felt we should share a scripture in D&C 6, the verses that remind Oliver Cowdrey he has already had a witness of peace spoken to his heart.... and how that great witness comes from God and God alone. As we finished the lesson, we asked her if she felt the same warmth and peace that we felt in the room. A wide smile spread across her face and she said she wanted to be baptized this Saturday. Wow.... wow. She is so ready. Sometimes I wonder how it's possible to love her so much! The Wu family came to church again! Sister Wu loved all three hours, especially Relief Society. We are so excited for their family. Praying and pulling hard for them! 

 

Sister Chao is my better half! I love her so much. We're so happy every day- we love the work. She sat with me at the dentist for almost an hour today... she is so good to me! 

 

I didn't quite have time to share what I learned this week, but it was - a lot of wonderful things! They will have to wait until next week! 

 

Please pray for Sister Shi and the Wu family! 

 

Love you always, headed to the East Coast this week for exchanges! 

Sister Barden 

 

 

Sister Barden from Taiwan - Mother's Day - May 11, 2014 

 

Dear Family! 

 

Loved seeing you today!  The new house is stunning- props to your killer style mom ;) 

 

The spirit led the way this week! We had some incredible experiences. This Saturday, we were contacting near Da An park. It's one of the most popular parks in all of Taipei and most of the people we meet are not native to our assigned area. After some time with little success, Sister Chao and I said another prayer to know where to go. As we prayed, a place came to my mind. It was a street I'd seen a few transfers ago in passing but it wasn't too far from where we were. I shared the thought with Sister Chao and we decided to follow the prompting! When we arrived on the quiet street, Sister Chao got really excited when she saw an open door leading to a cluster of apartments. (My companion loves knocking!) We headed in and began knocking. Nothing. As we headed down an unsuccessful stairwell we stopped at a light wood door. A young man named David met us. He told us that we had been lucky to catch him as he had been waiting alone at his office for some supplies to arrive. David doesn't have much of a religious background but he is anxious to become a better person. He told us he hasn't met very good people lately. When we prayed with him, he asked us what was the "special feeling" he was experiencing. We explained it was the Holy Ghost telling him that prayer was right and that God loved him. We invited him to be baptized and he accepted. He is now our new investigator. Sister Chao and I left his house bouncing with excitement. God led us to a single office in the heart of busy Taipei. A needle in a haystack is not too difficult or too far for the Lord to notice! 

 

We also had the Wu family come to church. All four of them came. Sister Chao and I felt we would burst with happiness as they all shuffled into sacrament in skirts… and Brother Wu in a tie! (He hasn't worn a tie in over 20 years!) The mothers day messages moved them deeply. The Book of Mormon is changing Brother Wu's life! We've been strongly encouraging him to read it on his own and reading with their family during some of our lessons. He is in 2 Nephi. This week, he told us that the more he reads the Book of Mormon the less he feels angry. Watching his conversion process is one of the most priceless things I have ever experienced. Is it possible to love a family I met only a short time ago SO very much?!?! I know it's the Savior's love for them that He is sharing with me. They are a miraculous family. 

 

My testimony of the power of the Book of Mormon to change investigators, less-actives, recent converts.. and me!... is growing stronger every week. It opens something in all of our hearts... a softness and desire that just continues to grow. Every week we visit our less actives they tell us how much they love studying with us. Our investigator from China, Sister Shi, attended our ward Book of Mormon class last night and loved learning about Nephi. She had so many good questions afterward! Sister Wu tells us that her husband seems kinder when he reads the Book of Mormon every day... They're gripping the iron rod and seeing the light of the tree of life ahead!   The Book of Mormon continues to help me personally every day. I've been reading in Mosiah lately and have been continually struck with the word "immediate". It's a pretty powerful word. Whenever we obey the Lord or seek Him,  help and blessings are immediate. They may be only comfort or greater strength... maybe greater happiness or tangible blessings... but some blessing will immediately come. I love the words in Mosiah.  And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he immediately bless you; and thereafter he hath  paid you. [Mosiah 2:24]   Full blessings we may have to wait for. Sometimes we must patiently endure during our trials. However, some beautiful thing will always "immediately" come to the faith-filled, obedient child of God. Mosiah 25:10 echoes a similar idea:   10 And again, when they thought of the immediate goodness of God, and his power in delivering Alma and his brethren out of the hands of the Lamanites and of bondage, they did raise their voices and give thanks to God.  The goodness of God is immediate. It's a beautiful thing to see on the mission in the lives of others. 

 

Sister Chao is SUCH a blessing! I could not love her more nor think more highly of her. One thing I am learning from Sister Chao is the reminder to be more simple in teaching. I really do have more of a creative mind and I need to continually remember the value of simple and clear teaching. Every day together is SO much fun! 

 

Love you always! Hope your loving the beautiful spring as much as we are :) 

Sister  Barden 

Sister Barden…  from Taiwan …  May 5, 2014 

Dear Family! 

     I'm so excited to talk to you next week. TJ and Julia look so different in photos and I can't wait to see them on Skype! 

     We had an amazing miracle happen this Sunday. We're teaching a family that is very busy on Sundays. However, after teaching them about keeping the Sabbath Day holy, they scheduled time to come to church this Sunday. Just before sacrament meeting started, the father came through the doors with dark jeans, a VOLVO hat and a big smile on his face. We were SO excited to see him but asked about the rest of his family. He told us his wife needed to stay with the kids. We were really hoping they could all attend church together but happily led him inside to sit next to a member. We assumed he would be the only member of his family to come.......As we sang the opening hymn in sacrament, Sister Chao elbowed my arm. "Look!" She said. We both glanced over at the - still open- chapel doors where our investigator's wife and one of their little-girls were staring at everyone with wide eyes. We jumped up -literally!- and helped them find their seats. This is the first time they have been at church together. The fast testimonies were unbelievably powerful and we could tell they were touched by the spirit. MIRACLE! Another incredible experience involves one of our mainland China investigators - the one who is well over six-feet tall! She also came to church this week and even attended the evening fireside. She is soaking everything in! "I felt so good today" she kept telling us. I think she is drawn to the loving atmosphere of the ward, a feeling that we truly are all brothers and sisters. She can't get enough of church :) 

     This week, I thought about a talk given in the recent Priesthood session of Conference by President Eyring about heroes. There was one part of the talk that particularly struck me. He talked about the importance of serving others and always having no need for acknowledgment of the given service. Referencing Matthew 6:1-4, President Eyring reminds us that "thine (our) alms may (should) be in secret" and that we should not "do your(our) alms before men". We should strive to have our service be known to none but God. When I was younger, my grandfather was the type of hero that President Eyring speaks about in this article. My grandfather always talked about the idea of a "Magnificent Obsession", a life-long quest to do good that was never known, never publicized, never recognized. I know that some of the sweetest and most sacred moments on the mission are times where no one is watching, where a service given or received is seen by God and God alone. This talk made me wonder how many unwritten miracles the Savior performed and how special they must be. It also made me recognize that I need to do only quiet service. Every opportunity and desire to do good comes from God and He is the only one we are accountable to for every act of love and kindness. 

     I can't believe I am loving my mission so much. I could never have expected a one-hundredth of the way this mission would feel, would evolve, would leave its impact on me.   Loving the ride. ;) 

Talk to you next week, 

Sister Barden